Parliament should pass law on reservations to exceed 50 per cent cap: Congress

New Delhi, June 28

Congress MP Jairam Ramesh has called for a constitutional amendment to remove the 50 per cent limit on reservation of SC/ST and OBCs, a cap imposed by the Supreme Court.

In a sharp critique of the Janta Dal (United) of Nitish Kumar, Ramesh questioned their silence and inaction on this crucial issue despite their alliance with the BJP.

“The Congress demands that the Constitution be amended so that the 50 per cent limit, which has come from the Supreme Court, should be removed on the reservation of SC/ST and OBC,” Ramesh stated in a conversation with ANI.

He pointed out that while the JD(U) has passed a resolution regarding a category status, they have not taken any substantial action to pressure their ally, the BJP, either in Patna or Delhi.

Ramesh challenged the JD(U) leadership, asking, “Will the Chief Minister say to the Prime Minister that we are supporting you, give us the special category status, get the caste census done, and remove the 50 per cent limit?”

He criticised the party for its inaction, emphasising that while it is easy to pass resolutions, it is harder to take effective action.

“They are silent on this, so it is easy to say but it is very difficult to do. There is a huge difference between doing and saying,” the Congress MP added.

Ramesh’s remarks come at a time when the demand for the special category status for Bihar has been a contentious issue, with various political parties voicing their support but failing to make significant progress. His statement underscores the Congress’ repeated stance to address the old issue of the marginalised communities and ensure equitable representation and opportunities for all.

Ramesh has launched a scathing attack on the National Testing Agency (NTA) and the Ministry of Education, demanding the resignation of the education minister over alleged scandals in the NEET exams and other tests.

“We will put forward our demands about what the NTA actually does. It conducts all the tests through private companies. Where have the scams come from? Bihar, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh are BJP-ruled states. There will be a discussion on this in the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha,” Ramesh stated.

He criticised the education minister’s inconsistent responses to the allegations. “First, our education minister says there is nothing, it is a minor matter, later they talk of a CBI investigation and form a high-level committee. We demand his resignation,” he asserted.

Highlighting the broader implications of the issue, Ramesh pointed out that the scandal is not limited to NEET but also affects other critical exams like NET, UGC and those overseen by NCERT. “It is a matter of all the institutions which are being run by the Ministry of Education. NTA is also its institution,” he added.